Exploring Large Format Camera Technique
4x5 view camera technique fosters creation of exceptionally expressive and
well thought out individual images. In part, this is due to the photographer's
desire to be more involved with the entire photographic process. Experimenting
with a 4x5 field camera is easy, fun and inspiring. In fact, many photographers
find that working in the 4x5 format improves their creative concentration
and technical understanding of photography in general. The principles involved
are timeless, straightforward and can be universally applied.

Visualization
Before setting your camera on the tripod, stop to think about the image
you are going to create. This part of the process is called visualization.
It sounds simple, but many photographers are automatically tuned into the
speed of picking up a 35mm camera and just shooting away, only to find a
few good images later. Because you are carefully considering the composition
in your mind, you will also find that two lenses - a normal and wide angle
- will serve most of your needs.

Framing the Subject
Practice framing the subject before you set-up the camera. Buy a 4x5 cut-out
black presentation mat to use as a "viewing frame," and a small
ruler. Hold the frame about 6 inches from your eye and you will see the
approximate area that a 150mm lens "sees." Bring it about 3-1/2
inches from your eye and you now have simulated the area viewed by a 90mm
lens. In seconds, you can use this simple device to visualize any scene
and select the best angle before you take the camera out of its case.

Study the Scene
Once you set-up the camera, you will see that viewing, focusing and composing
on a 4x5 ground glass reveals exactly what you record on film. The image
is projected directly through the lens onto the focusing screen. It appears
upside down, and reversed from right to left. While at first, this may seem
awkward, this abstraction is actually an aid to better composition. With
experience, your eye will train itself to notice light, shade, form, shape
and tonality more carefully. You will be less distracted by the world outside
of your composition. You will learn to concentrate your mind's-eye on the
large 4x5 area and to observe the direct result of changing focus, depth-of-field,
and control of all the camera movements. All of this leads you to greater
attention to detail, and a more refined sense of composition.

Shoot a Polaroid
Polaroid instant materials are superb teaching and creative tools, used
by beginners and pros alike. The resulting prints can be a valuable learning
tool allowing you to instantly judge composition, lighting, focus and many
filter effects. You can also use them to keep a log book of your experimentation
with different camera movements.

Getting
Started With Image Control and Camera Movements:
Creative Challenges and Simple Solutions

Controlling
Perspective and Parallel Lines Challenge: You want to photograph a building, or a stand
of trees, yet keep all lines parallel even though you must angle the camera
upwards to encompass the scene.

Solution: Rise. First, align the camera back parallel to the subject.
Then, by using the rise movement, the lens' point of view is moved above
eye level, thereby keeping vertical lines parallel. Rise, fall and shift
are all parallel movements that move the lens up, down and sideways relative
to the center of the camera back.

Increased
Control of Perspective and Parallel LinesChallenge: You need more control of perspective than you can achieve
with front rise, fall and shift.

Solution:
Drop Bed - Front and rear are tilted backward at the same degree and thereby
kept parallel, giving the effect of increased Front Fall.

Incline
Bed - Front and rear are tilted forward at the same degree and kept parallel,
giving the effect of increased Front Rise.

Shift
Bed - Front and rear are swung in the same direction to the same degree,
giving the same effect as Shift, but with dramatically increased control.

Increasing Depth of FieldChallenge: You see a vast landscape with a field of flowers and distant
mountains. You want to have both the flowers near the camera and the distant
mountain in focus at the same time. Even if you used the smallest aperture
on your lens, you might still need greater depth-of-field.

Solution:
Front Tilt. Tilting the lens forward will extend the plane of focus far
beyond the effect of using a small lens aperture and allow you to get near
and far objects in focus at the same time. Front tilt is usually combined
with using a small aperture such as f/16 or f/22. It does not replace using
a small aperture, but rather enhances the effect over a greater subject
plane.

Challenge: Imagine focusing on
a white picket fence, running from near to far, diagonally through your
composition. With ordinary cameras you can either focus on the beginning,
middle, or end of the fence, use a small aperture, and hope to get most
of it in focus.

Solution: Front Swing. With
a field camera, you can swing your lens to position it roughly parallel
to the fence. This will allow you to get the fence in sharp focus from beginning
to end, even with a wide open aperture.

Selective
FocusChallenge: You want to focus on just one leaf or flower and leave
everything else in the scene a soft blur. Or, you want to recreate an effect
you may have seen in a fashion magazine where only the model's eyes are
sharp, and all the clothes are softly blurred.

Solution:
Front Tilt-Backward can be used to accomplish these selective focus effects
with ease. Front swing can be used for a similar effect with objects to
the left or right of your composition center. Swinging in either direction
will bring objects in or out of focus.

Correct
or Distort the Shape or Size of An ObjectChallenge: You want to emphasize a large rock, or other visual
element in the foreground of a landscape.

Solution:
Rear Tilt. By tilting the back away from the lens, you will notice that
the size and shape of objects in the foreground become exaggerated. Similarly,

Rear Swing will pivot the back from side to side, manipulating
the shape of objects to the right or left of the composition.